Doomed Peregrine moon lander on course for fiery return to Earth

US spacecraft expected to burn up in fireball over south Pacific Ocean after failed lunar mission

• Explainer: why landing on the moon is proving more difficult

A US spacecraft that malfunctioned on the way to the moon will plunge back to Earth on Thursday evening and burn up in a fireball over the south Pacific Ocean.

A fuel leak onboard the Peregrine lander had made it challenging for space agencies to track the doomed spacecraft, but as the leak subsided in recent days its path became more predictable.